


where the sun beams end and the starlights begin (it's all a mystery)

by constanted



Series: if the world says it's time to go, tell me, will you freak out? [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Detective Boy!, Found Family, Gen, Secret Identity, Superhero Teams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 17:10:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17871350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constanted/pseuds/constanted
Summary: Angus McDonald, boy detective and superhero superfan, tries to discover the identities of the mysterious Seven Birds. Unfortunately, his family doesn't think he should be doing that.(or: Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.)





	where the sun beams end and the starlights begin (it's all a mystery)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sanvitheartificer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanvitheartificer/gifts).



> windy paid me money to write about superhero au birds and i decided, let's talk about the BOY.

i.

 

Angus McDonald, boy detective and superhero superfan, meets the Seven Birds for the first time when he is walking home from school. He was expecting to run into them eventually, of course—he was in a very dangerous line of work, and danger and the Seven Birds went together like peanut butter and bananas. Still, it was strange to see them _now_ , on the sixth day in a row of no supervillain attacks in all of Moon City.

Angus immediately realizes, however, that the streak’s broken. i’Morko spots him and pulls him aside, just as a thick orb of smog hits the part of the sidewalk he had _just_ been standing on.

Angus stares, mouth agape, for a second, as i’Morko draws his axe and charges toward whatever had thrown the smog. The Director casts a shield around the bush Angus is crouched behind, and he just—

Can’t believe they’re actually _here_.

 

ii.

 

Magnus has been acting weird, lately. Taako, too. Angus has lived with them since Grandpa died, and they’ve never really been _quiet_ before now. They go to Taako’s sister’s house uptown a lot, tell Angus that he needs to stop investigating the Birds, because that’s _dangerous_.

Because if there’s _anything_ that Magnus and Taako care about, it’s _danger_. Angus calls horseshit on _that_ , yes sirree. 

It’s probably because Taako’s boyfriend is almost _definitely_ Reaper, who is maybe a supervillain? But that’s hard to define, because Reaper’s had a recent face turn. He’s been taking down Hunger agents _too_.

Maybe Taako doesn’t realize that he’s dating Reaper, of course. Angus is a very smart boy, and heroes and villains are very hard to identify.

“People who get involved with the Birds are putting themselves in harm’s way,” Magnus says, and his friend Lucretia nods. “And if I can’t protect you…”

He shakes his head, sighs. 

Dr. Highchurch From School, who is Magnus and Taako’s Boss’ husband, and also _maybe_ their drug dealer, tells him that the Seven Birds are a bunch of weird losers anyway. Angus begs to differ, but Dr. Highchurch won’t take it.

 

iii.

 

Angus meets the Birds for the second time when he’s investigating the Institute labs in which they were given their powers. He stole Lup’s boyfriend’s keycard, because it was _right there_ , and Taako and Magnus told him that stealing isn’t _wrong_ if it helps you find the truth.

“What the hell are you doing here?” asks Parley, spotting him. “You’re—this place is _crawlin’_ with bad energies, kid, you gotta—“

“Didn’t see _this_ one comin’, did you, Morko,” drawls Flip Wizard, “All the fuckin’ _visions_ you coulda had, and—“

“It’s been a long day!” i’Morko yells. The Captain and the Director are both looking at each other, and Phoenix is looking at Red Robe, and _wow_ , Angus is kind of losing his mind, right now, and—

“Look, sirs and ma’ams, I’m _really_ sorry for snooping, but I—I want to help fight the Hunger!”

 

iv.

 

The Seven Birds do _not_ take his help.

 

v.

 

Angus is still looking into the Reaper situation when Kravitz just up and _tells_ him. It’s nice to have the confirmation, nicer to know that Taako already knew. Taako makes _jokes_ about it, at dinner, all “What’re you gonna do, take me to _ghost jail_?” or “You gonna start working for the Hunger again?”

“What’s Parley’s arm like now?” asks Magnus, joining in.

“Oh, as if you don’t _know_ ,” Kravitz says, and he covers his mouth _immediately_.

“You can’t just—"

“How _would_ he know, Krav?” Taako asks. “He’s a carpenter. They lose fingers, not arms. Get your jokes right.”

“Factcheck your comedy.”

“I’m sorry. That was—a bit gruesome of me,” Kravitz says.

And that’s when Angus gets _suspicious._

 

vi.

 

Angus is investigating the identities of the Birds during most of his free time. That takes him, of course, to Wonderland—a tiny Hunger hub in downtown Moon City, not far from Magnus and Taako’s apartment.

Prisoner’s Dilemma and Heart Attack, the supervillains who run it, are very interested in Angus. They’re very interested in _most_ people, from what he’s heard. They’re manipulative, they’re evil, but they have the intel he needs. Angus is a very smart boy. He can get what he wants out of this.

“You’re the boy that i’Morko saved,” grins Dilemma, her cape blowing behind her. “All of the Birds saved you, actually—it was… strange. They’re usually _so_ focused on the _greater good.”_

“They’re superheroes. They _have_ to save innocents. Don’t—“

“Angus, darling, I think you’ll be _very_ useful to us indeed.”

And Angus blinks, and then, he doesn’t see anything at all.

It takes him two hours to wake up. He’s in a closet, he thinks. He’s not hurt, just knocked out—there’s _maybe_ a mild concussion from hitting the ground, but he’s fine, he’s okay.

Probably.

He hears the Director’s voice from outside. “If you don’t tell us where he is, I’ll draw all the air out of you. We can burn you, we can _destroy you_ , just give us the goddamn boy—“

“But _Lucy_ ,” whines Heart Attack, “Why would we abide that when we can do—“

And the Director _screams_.

Angus smells fire, smells flowers. The Birds are all here.

“He’s in the closet,” says… i’Morko. Probably. “Taako, turn it to stone, please, just—“

And Angus sees i’Morko and Flip Wizard, and realizes that he _maybe_ forgot to look at the obvious.

But that’s not his main concern right now. Angus rushes toward Heart Attack and Prisoner’s Dilemma, and he tries to punch them. He lands a hit on Heart Attack, but Phoenix knocks them both back with a wall of fire before he can hit again. Which is probably for the best.

“We need to talk,” says i’Morko.

“I think so, yeah, sir.”

 

vii.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You _super_ got kidnapped, Ango. And you’re asking us why we didn’t tell you, who _already_ snoops in the Hunger’s shit, that we and our friends-slash-coworkers are Hunger-Targets Zero.”

“I mean, honesty is key,” Magnus says, “We might have been bad role models.”

“I’m dating a supervillain. We’re beyond being good role models.”

Angus is at Lup and Barry’s house, drinking tea. He’s _very_ angry, but also a little bit impressed. So he decides, he might as well push his luck while everyone’s feeling guilty.

“So can I, uh. Can I help you fight the Hunger now?”

**Author's Note:**

> (1) superhero notes bc i didn't get deep into it!  
> MAGNUS is i'MORKO, and he can SEE THE FUTURE  
> LUCRETIA is THE DIRECTOR, who can CREATE FORCE FIELDS  
> TAAKO is FLIP WIZARD who can TURN THINGS TO CRYSTAL  
> MERLE is PARLEY and he can SUMMON PLANTS but (un?)FORTUNATELY he CANNOT SEDUCE THEM  
> LUP is PHOENIX and she can BE LUP  
> BARRY is RED ROBE and he can DANNY PHANTOM  
> DAVENPORT is THE CAPTAIN and he can CREATE ILLUSIONS
> 
> (2) superpowers CAN be inate in this universe--kravitz has em. probably julia, too. others, though, have them implanted through the HUNGER. which is basically just requiring the tazcom mechanic of "you gotta fight together." such teams include TEAM SWEET FLIPS, the RAVEN AND RAM, and WONDERLAND. the hunger is outed as evil like. 2 years after this thing starts.
> 
> (3) if you want me to write you a fic, hmu on tumblr @yahooanswer for commission info!


End file.
